At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead architectural strategy and guide a talented team through transformation.
- Company: Crown Agents Bank, a growing UK bank connecting emerging markets globally.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, competitive pension plan, life assurance, and private medical insurance.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of payments and FX in emerging markets with innovative technology.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in architecture and expertise in Payments or FX.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
Crown Agents Bank is a vastly growing and regulated UK bank that connects emerging and frontier markets to the rest of the world, using FX and payments technology. We are transforming the way payments and FX move through emerging markets, reducing friction so that more money gets to those who need it. Emerging markets payments are usually challenging, expensive, unreliable and opaque. Our solutions help fix these pain points. Ultimately, we connect traditionally hard-to-reach regions to global financial infrastructure, giving access to the best prices and the fastest, most reliable settlement.
FX and cross-border payments are often complex and expensive, especially when operating in emerging markets. Crown Agents Bank (CAB) wraps its deep and trusted relationships and strength of network around innovative digital capabilities, and cross-border transaction banking solutions to enable fintech, corporates, governments, development organisations and banks to move money to, from, and across often hard-to-reach markets.
Overview
We are seeking a visionary Head of Architecture based in London to lead the Bank’s architectural strategy and play a pivotal role in our multi‑year transformation toward an agentic, intelligence‑driven Target Operating Model (TOM). You will own the end‑to‑end enterprise architecture, modernise our design principles, and guide a talented team of architects through this evolution.
The Team
You will lead a small team of enterprise and domain architects and report directly to the CTO, working within a collaborative Technology Leadership Team. Technology is foundational to our transformation, and architecture plays a central, integrative role in re‑platforming the Bank for an intelligent future.
The Role
As Head of Architecture, you will:
- Define and own the current‑state, transitional, and target‑state architectures across business, data, applications, and technology domains.
- Design and implement the architecture needed to support an agentic, AI‑enabled Target Operating Model, including autonomy layers, orchestration patterns, and human‑in‑the‑loop principles.
- Update the architecture function with modern workflows, flexible governance, and streamlined guardrails for continuous delivery.
- Lead, mentor and develop a high‑performing architecture team, fostering modern engineering practices and capability maturity.
- Shape strategic technology roadmaps, partnering with senior stakeholders to identify transformational opportunities across Payments, FX, Data, AI, and Platform domains.
- Lead complex, multi‑disciplinary change across legacy and modern systems, driving architectural simplification and scalable patterns.
- Work closely with engineering and change teams to deliver measurable business outcomes, translating architectural intent into practical execution frameworks and incremental value.
Responsibilities
- Develop enterprise architecture models, reference architectures, and standards aligned to our agentic TOM.
- Champion event‑driven, microservices‑based, cloud‑native architectures and their associated patterns.
- Foster adaptive design, engineering excellence, and feedback‑driven evolution across teams.
- Govern architectural decisions pragmatically—balancing innovation, technical debt, and regulatory expectations.
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior executives on strategic technology decisions and business‑architecture alignment.
Qualifications
- Proven experience leading architecture functions in high‑change, transformation‑heavy environments.
- Deep expertise in Payments, FX, or high‑scale transaction‑processing platforms.
- Strong communication and stakeholder‑influencing skills with senior leadership.
- Experience working across modern and legacy technologies, including pathways for modernisation.
- Comfortable in regulated environments with strong cross‑functional engagement.
- Familiarity with architecture frameworks such as TOGAF, ArchiMate, or similar.
Highly Desirable
- Experience with AI, agentic architectures, intelligent orchestration, or autonomous workflows.
- Experience in cross‑border FX and payments.
- Background in systems engineering, data architecture, or platform engineering.
- Technical degree required.
Additional Information
- Hybrid working (4 days on-site)
- Contributory personal pension plan: - Minimum: Employee 2% and Employer 7%. Employer matches contributions in 1% increments to a maximum of: Employee 5% and Employer 10%
- Life Assurance – 4 times annual salary
- Group Income Protection
- Private Medical Insurance – this may include cover for partner and or children at company cost. Cover includes Optical, Dental and Audiology
Head of Architecture employer: Crown Agents Bank Ltd.
Crown Agents Bank is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in London where innovation meets purpose. As a leader in transforming payments and FX in emerging markets, employees benefit from a collaborative culture that fosters professional growth and development, alongside competitive benefits such as a contributory pension plan, private medical insurance, and life assurance. Join us to be part of a visionary team that is making a meaningful impact on global financial infrastructure.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Architecture
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to industry contacts on LinkedIn or attend relevant events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. We want to show that we’re not just a good fit for the role, but also for the team. Tailor your answers to reflect how your vision aligns with their goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or mentors. We can help each other refine our responses and boost our confidence before the real deal.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A simple thank-you email can go a long way. It shows our enthusiasm for the role and keeps us fresh in their minds. Plus, it’s a great chance to reiterate why we’re the best fit!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Architecture
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that align with the Head of Architecture role. Highlight your experience in payments, FX, and transformation-heavy environments to catch our eye!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about transforming payments and how your vision aligns with our goals at Crown Agents Bank. Be genuine and let your personality come through.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a Head of Architecture, you'll be leading a team. Make sure to highlight your leadership experience and how you've mentored teams in the past. We want to see how you can inspire and guide others!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. Don’t miss out!
How to prepare for a job interview at Crown Agents Bank Ltd.
✨Know Your Architecture Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the latest architectural trends, especially around AI and microservices. Brush up on your knowledge of frameworks like TOGAF or ArchiMate, as these will likely come up during discussions.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading teams through transformation. Be ready to discuss how you've mentored architects and fostered modern engineering practices in previous roles.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with Crown Agents Bank’s mission and the challenges in emerging markets. This will help you articulate how your architectural vision can directly support their goals in payments and FX.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Engagement
Think about how you would communicate complex architectural concepts to senior executives. Practice explaining your ideas clearly and concisely, focusing on how they align with business objectives and regulatory requirements.
